The Sob Story

Image@elee0228@deviantart.com

"A weak person destroys others in order to feel better about themselves; a strong person knows that by building others up he or she becomes stronger, too." ~A. Schaefer

We all have a sob story...pain we've had to endure, hardships we've had to overcome. Life, in general, will flat out break you if you let it. People will do that, too. Some will do it carelessly, without malicious intent, while for others it is quite calculated and deliberate. Either way, the hurt is the same, the wounds still bleed red. I believe that those who harm others intentionally do so to mask their own self-hatred and pain. Inside the black space where they live, they're going down and by God taking as many people as possible with them. I recognize these kinds of people fairly quickly, have in fact had too many of them close enough to me to cause some serious, life-long damage. And one or two damn near broke me beyond repair. "Almost" only counts, however, in horse shoes and strategic air strikes.

My life has been a series of pain, joy, betrayal, lies, truth, courage, and building experiences...just like everyone elses. I can choose to allow the difficult things to destroy me, turn me into something ugly, or use them to build beautiful things from the devastation when it comes. I choose...to build. I choose...to remove toxic people from my Tribe. I choose...to love without fear, and adjust my course when and if that love goes horribly wrong. My "sob" story may not be unique, but it's mine and it matters. Not all of those tears I've shed have been from pain and every single difficult thing I've had to face has been wrapped in a lesson, as well as opportunities. Every time someone or something has shattered me into pieces, I've learned how to turn those pieces into seeds that grow. It's a skill-set that is not easy to learn but I can promise you it yields great rewards!